


Premiere

by disasterpieces



Category: IT (Movies - Muschietti), IT - Stephen King
Genre: Eddie and Richie being dorks, F/M, Fix-It, M/M, Post-Canon, angsty bill, just an excuse to have all these characters together, pregnant beverly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-05
Updated: 2019-10-05
Packaged: 2020-11-24 18:14:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,404
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20911961
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/disasterpieces/pseuds/disasterpieces
Summary: Upon returning to Bill and Audra's LA condo from the premiere of their new movie, the Losers and their significant others comfort him after a set of negative reviews.





	Premiere

It’s 11 pm when the Losers step into Bill Denbrough and Audra Phillips’s sleek and effortlessly stylish LA condo, chatting and smiling. Once the group are all in, Audra shuts the door, locking out the crisp LA night air and stretches as she faintly hears the group settle into the living room. They have all just come back from the premiere of the new movie that Bill wrote “The Butcher”. Audra had a starring role of course as glamorous reporter Talia Castle who finds herself hunted by a terrifying man pig hybrid as she investigates a story for her newspaper. 

Audra loved the film and loved Bill of course. She remembered halfway through filming where she had stumbled from makeup covered in fake blood and spotted Bill grinning at her. When she went over to see what was up, he simply replied that he’s lucky to have her and kissed her softly, not caring about the sticky synthetic goop now soaking into his shirt. Audra’s heart skipped a beat. And now it was nearly out. A month-long shoot at the start of the year and now due out in less than a week. A marketing blitz has hit the country, Audra counted three billboards as they drove home, a convoy of vehicles belonging to The Losers.

Audra glanced at her phone; a couple of thousand likes on Instagram of her stunning premiere dress (generously made by Beverly’s company) and some congratulatory texts from her friends. She’s so busy replying that she doesn’t see Bill standing by her until she puts the phone down. She jumps a little and grins awkwardly, trying to play that moment down.

“Bill! Oh my god…”

“Did you think I was a man pig?”

“A little, yeah…you have the height of one.”

A dry “Ha” from her husband. Audra smirks and kisses him again before hugging him.

“Well done. It was amazing.” 

Bill is silent. Audra frowns and pulls back a little. Conversation emits from the Living room.

“And the ending?” asks Bill with a blank stare.

Shit.

Audra sighs and smiles weakly at Bill who lets go and puffs his cheeks.

“It was one of your better ones”

“I sensed the whole theatre deflate…”

“No Bill, don’t. Please. It was amazing. You should be so proud. It’s so good.”

A weak nod from Bill.

Audra lightly rolls her eyes and pulls her husband in.

“We’re gonna talk about the film and you’ll see everyone loved it. The ending included”

Bill’s face is stern but it melts upon seeing Audra. He sighs and takes her hand.

“All right then, let’s get the grilling over and done with”

Audra chuckles and leads him into the living room, just in time to see…

Richie Tozier and his husband Eddie Kaspbrak lying on the floor, wrestling with their legs. The Losers and their spouses cheer the couple on as Richie manages to flip Eddie over to the floor (somehow without breaking any legs). Audra and Bill stand stunned for a second as Richie notices the pair. 

“Oh…hey”

I’m not even gonna bother asking what THAT was” replies Bill smarmily and he takes a seat next to Stan Uris and his wife Patty.

Patty was a sweet girl who along with Eddie spent most of the film buried in the chest of their significant other, startled by the scares and kills. Stan took in his stride although he looked a bit pale at a few of the bloodier kills. Richie openly yelled for more blood which would have annoyed Audra if he wasn’t so damn cute shielding a twitchy Eddie’s eyes from the carnage on screen.

Audra squeezes past Ben (still absurdly hot and ripped, Audra couldn’t believe the old photos Bill had of him) and Beverly (bubbly and energetic for someone who is 2 months pregnant) and grabs a few wine glasses and a bottle of some expensive stuff from France that she got at a fashion show. She proudly shows it off to the group.

“Don’t worry Bev, I’ll get you a water”

“Thank you sweetheart”

Richie chimes in accompanied by an eye roll from Eddie.

“Yeah don’t drink while pregnant or it’ll end up like him”

Eddie hits him on the arm.

“You’re such an ass…and don’t call their baby an it, dummy”

“Would you prefer little demon…uh…fleshling…”

“Stop talking”

Eddie clasps his hand over Richie’s mouth who STILL blabber on. After a moment he licks Eddie’s hand, causing him to recoil with disgust and retract his hand.  
“RICHIE!”

Eddie quickly dashes out the room to wash his hand and the group burst out laughing. Well everyone that is except for Sasha, Mike’s new date. She was friendly and as cool and calm as Mike but had no idea about half the inside jokes shared between the group. She looked practically horrified when Richie started joking about Stan’s bar mitzvah and circumcision on the ride to the premiere.

“Uh…he is going to be OK?”

Mike playfully places an arm on her back and smiles.

“Eddie’s like a huge hypochondriac…like really bad”

A confused nod from Sasha.

“Right…”

“Yeah he was also dropped on the head by his mother as a baby” chimes in his husband and receives chuckles from Bill, Stan, Mike and Ben (and a barely suppressed one from Patty)

Sasha arches an eyebrow and glances at Mike.

“Is he joking or…?

Richie winks at her and taps his nose. His secret to know. Sasha very awkwardly eyes the floor, not wanting to look up until this strange man who is perpetually dressed in Hawaiian shirts stops looking at her like that.

Audra pours a glass for everyone sans Beverly and waits for Eddie to re-enter before raising it in the air. The others do the same.

“So I just wanna say, a huge congrats to Bill, he poured his heart into this film and it came amazing. I’m so proud of you babe!”

She kisses him on the cheek and the group cheer.

“Now let’s get drunk!”

Even more excited yelling from the group as they quickly drink from their glasses. Bill dashes to the stereo and flicks on some smooth jazz with a cheer from Stan and Ben while Richie, Sasha, Eddie, and Mike head to the kitchen to get drinks. 

Audra smiles and hugs Beverly and Patty.

“Audra, you were amazing in the film,” says Patty as she takes a sip. “I wish I was even half as good as you at acting”

Audra blushes and hugs Patty.

“Ugh Patty, you are too damn nice”

“Honestly Audra, I was blown away…you and Bill always impress me when you work together” states Beverly. Faintly from the kitchen, Eddie can be heard cursing at Richie.

Audra nods. “I guess when we work together…we feel each other’s energy? If you get what I mean?”

“Oh yeah of course. It makes me think about what I could achieve if I worked with Ben, but he has not a single bit of fashion knowledge in his body”

The ladies glance over at Ben who is overdramatically crooning Frank Sinatra with Stan.

Patty laughs and shakes her head. “I think about that too, but I don’t think Stan would be interested in accounting, he’d just stare at birds flying past the office window”

Audra tunes out of the conversation and spots Bill who is standing by the corner, brow crossed and scrolling on his phone. Audra approaches him. He is utterly focused on the phone. Audra glances at his screen…reviews for The Butcher. He’s reading a negative one.

Audra quickly snatches the phone off him.

“What the hell Audra…!?”

“You know what I said about reading bad reviews. It messes with your head”

“They hated the ending. Like really hated it.”

He looks utterly crushed. 

“Oh Bill…who cares what a bunch of critics say…they’ve never written or made a film. They just judge it and have no idea what goes on behind the scenes?”

“I care Audra.”

Audra sighs and spots Beverly and Patty watching them sympathetically.

“Is he OK?” mouths Beverly.

Audra shakes her head and pulls Bill in for a hug.

Stan and Ben slide over to their partners and watch Audra desperately try to chill Bill up.

“Patty, what’s up with Bill?” asks Stan, his eyes locked on his miserable buddy.

Patty shrugs and moves forward a little only to be stopped by Beverly. “I think we should just let them sort it out”

Ben leans forward concerned. Neither Bill or Audra has spotted them watching.

“Should we do something Bev, I hate seeing Bill so upset.”

Beverly opens her mouth to say something but is interrupted by Richie and Eddie striding in, both carrying packs of beer. Mike and Sasha are at the rear, struggling to carry a collection of sprites, vodka, and wine. Richie hands Beverly a glass of cold water.

“For Madame Marsh”

“Merci” replies Beverly as she takes a sip.

Eddie, Richie and Mike both spot Bill and Audra while Sasha obliviously places down the drinks and wipes her head. She sighs and glances around, spotting the group.

“What is everyone staring at?”

She then spots Bill being hugged by Audra, he’s shaking his head and looks like he’s crying a little. 

“Oh.”

At that, both Bill and Audra turn and spot everyone watching them.

“Oh…hey.."

Bill awkwardly straightens up and wipes his nose and red, wet eyes. He doesn't want to be seen like this by all his friends. He sighs deeply and slaps on a weak and unconvincing smile.

"Uh, is everything OK man?" asks Mike who stares at his friend concerned.

For a moment, Audra thinks that Bill is gonna put on a strong show. Be brave. Lie to his friends. But he can't. He instead sits down on the sofa.

"The-they h-h-hated the ending"

A collective wince and look of disappointment from the group. Bill stares at everyone else, his eyes wide and partly accusatory.

"Did you guys like it?"

Silence besides the faint sound of Jazz fills the room. No one says anything. Audra wants the ground to eat her up. What a fucking nightmare.

"I didn't HATE it but I didn't LOVE it" states Richie as if that is supposed to do something to help Bill. Audra decides to make the best of a bad situation.

"See! Richie didn't hate it". Bill doesn't react. He glances at the others who have all now sat down around the room by their significant other. Eddie raises the hand not being held by Richie and smiles awkwardly.

"Uh, I would comment on the ending but I was staring at Richie's chest because I thought there was going to be another jump scare." 

"Me too" chimes in Patty. "Although with Stan, not Richie's chest" she adds nervously.

Richie, ever the one to not read the room, playfully blows a kiss at a blushing Patty. "You know you want this babe"

"Richie!" hisses Eddie accompanied by a slap on the arm.

Meanwhile, Bill offers a strained by sincere laugh at that exchange. He smiles weakly, wiping his eyes. Audra smiles. This might work.

"I said to you earlier it was one of your better ones," Audra says as she plants a kiss on his neck.

"Yeah, I liked it a lot more than The Attic. It made sense which was nice" chirped Stan. Bill accepts the faint if damning praise. 

"I think it's one I have to think about. Like it has me asking questions right now. So I can't offer a conclusive review of it." says Ben who gently rubs Beverly's slowly rising baby bump.

"Which is short for you hated it?" says Bill meekly, his defenses starting to crack.

"No, not at all. In fact on the drive back, me and Ben were both thinking about how creepy that imagery was. Of the cellar being locked and her being inside...it got to me." 

Bill and Beverly share a smile.

"Same thoughts as everyone else man" shrugs Mike. Audra can practically see the gears in Mike's brain working overtime, scrambling for a compliment. "Very...provocative."

Bill silently nods but still looks a little upset. As Audra is about to give up hope...

" I loved it...and I'm saying that as someone with no connection to you really beside the guy I'm seeing".

The group freeze and look up to see Sasha who meekly finishes off her wine and smiles at Bill. Bill arches an eyebrow. 

"Sasha...really?"

Sasha nods. "I studied films for years and I think it's pretty inspired how you directly utilize techniques from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre such as the wide shots at sunset and shrill, overbearing audio and recontextualized it into something negative via Talia's upset over escaping instead of the joyfulness of Sally's escape. I know a lot of it came down to cinematography and directing but your script's ending is really sharp with how it sets us with this idea of dread about how Talia has inevitably screwed herself over despite seemingly being safe. I think it's excellent. I don't get the hate"

Everyone STARES at Sasha who blinks confused. Slowly Richie starts to clap and both Eddie and Sasha frown at him. Eddie shuts him up before he says a thing. Meanwhile, Bill's eyes have lit up.

"That's EXACTLY what I was going for. Oh my god...someone gets it."

Everyone else is confused...even Audra, who read the damn script. Was he even going for that?

Bill rushes over to hug Sasha who doesn't even register it until Bill is on her.

"Uh..."

She spots Audra mouth "just play along" and Sasha decides to do just that, smiling as she pats Bill's back.

"You wrote a good film Bill" as Bill lets go and they share a smile. Warm and friendly. Bill turns to Mike. 

"I really like her Mike". 

Mike chuckles and nods. "I can the same thing"

As Bill hugs everyone, Richie just watches confused.

"Fuck, next time should I just lie about Bill's film to get a hug?"

Eddie punches Richie in the shoulder.

"I swear to god, Tozier."

Bill smiles and grabs a bottle of vodka, holding it in the air.

"Can you guys just get me drunk so I can forget about the reviews?"

A resounding cheer from the others.

And the partying lasted all godamn night.


End file.
